This review details 5 aspects of an event: Sound, Crowd, Smoking Area, Lighting, and the Artist.

“Giant steps is the travelling sound system from the team behind Brilliant Corners”

Sound: 10/10
The sound at Giant Steps is unmatched. They use six ten-foot speaker stacks and high-end amplifiers only suitable for vinyl. The regular home for this incredible set of speakers is now at Hackney Baths in Hackney Wick. Giant Steps runs events on Sundays from 4 till 10, one or two times a month. Beauty and the Beat, who helped set up the sound system, also throw a party one Saturday a month in the same spot.

In the summer, this sound system is taken up and down the country for festivals, including Houghton, where they have their own dedicated stage. The sound is so pure and powerful that it would be an 11/10 if it were possible.

Crowd: 9/10
Having been to five Giant Steps parties now, I can confidently say the crowd is a close second to the sound system in making this party elite. Everybody is friendly, and it feels like a real community where familiar faces are seen Sunday after Sunday. There’s no pushing and shoving, just considerate people sharing the same love for dance music and moving their bodies on a Sunday afternoon. Giant Steps parties are a perfect non-pretentious place to meet new people.

Smoking Area: 8.5/10
This seems like an important category to me, as this is where friends are made and stories are told. Giant Steps has as good a smoking area as any (provided it’s not raining). There are bean bags and benches, and sometimes pop-up food stalls (generally in the summer).

Lighting: 8/10
Another amazing aspect of a Giant Steps party is the big moon-like lights in the center of the dance floor, along with living room-esque lamps on either side of the turntables. This setup gives a unique house party feel. It’s low key and not trying to do too much, focusing on the basics: sound, lights, space, and the selectors.

Artists: 9.5/10
Every Giant Steps party I’ve been to has amazed me with their bookings, not necessarily because they’re big names, but because of the amazing tune selection. I was lucky enough to see Floating Points play all night at a Giant Steps party last summer, which was unreal.

More recently, I saw the legendary Nancy Noise and Test Pressing boss Paul Byrne, who played a great array of dance music with gems from various genres. The party was so good that even though I had work the next day, we kept partying through the night, which was worth it.

The last Giant Steps night I attended was the Customs LDN night, which was probably my favorite Giant Steps party to date. The range of genres was impressive, with a focus on disco. I couldn’t stop trying to Shazam the records they were playing (guilty), but only got lucky with a couple of tracks…

I stayed behind to chat with Guy and Tom of Customs, who were incredibly friendly. They appreciated the energy the crowd brought to the baths that day. Similarly to the Test Pressing night, we didn’t want to stop the party, so we headed to Brilliant Corners bar on Kingsland Road to keep dancing.

I’ve gone on a bit about the artists at Giant Steps parties, but the bookings are always impeccable. Even if I discover the artist on that day, the track selection never misses.

Overall: 9.5/10
There isn’t anything bad to say about the Giant Steps parties. It’s one of my top spots in London for a dance and a happy time.